Are you among those who are not doing their dream job? If yes, you will most likely feel that the time at work is passing slowly. However, there are certainties that you may feel perplexed at the workplace, even if you really like your job. All this means that no matter if you like your job or not, there are certain days when you feel that time is going slowly.
Time management at work is essential because it greatly impacts your work efficiency and productivity. It is your sole responsibility to keep an eagle eye on reasons which are becoming the cause of poor time management. In this article, you will learn why time moves slowly at work and how to make time go faster at work.
Why Do I Feel Time Go by So Slowly at Work?
Every employee spends the same duration at the workplace, so why do some feel that time is going slow while others think that time is moving fast? It is not the time that is moving fast or slow; it is our brain that makes us feel like that.
Sometimes our brain is occupied with some other things, due to which it cannot focus properly on work, ultimately leading to such feelings. There are many other reasons why time moves slowly, and some of them are jotted down for your knowledge:
- Emotional State: Some days you feel emotionally down at the workplace due to personal issues. Due to such an emotional state, you find yourself distracted and uninterested in work. Experimental research shows that emotions affect time perception. For example, when you are afraid of something, you feel like time is passing very slowly. However, it is not true, but as the brain is occupied thinking about something stressful, work feels longer.
- External Factors: External factors play a significant role in moving time slowly. Sometimes the outside noise disturbs you a lot, and you start focusing on it rather than on work. As you are now impatiently waiting for the silence, thus, time feels like passing slowly because whenever we desperately wait for something, it feels like a donkey's year. A similar situation happens when you haven't had breakfast before coming to work.
- Multiple Distractions: If you don’t focus on work due to different distractions, then there is a high chance that you will feel bored at work. The feeling of boredom makes you think that time is passing at a snail's pace. The distraction could be anything like excessive use of social media, hearing songs, or browsing the internet. If you are really concerned about how to work faster and smarter, then try to avoid distractions.
- Poor Engagement: Those employees who keep looking at the clock and badly wait for the off time are actually not engaged in work. The reason behind poor engagement could be many, like you are unhappy with the job, uncomfortable with the team, or scarcely appreciated. If you are going through any of these feelings, then you will never keep your focus at work.
- Thinking About Something Else: Time feels slow when you are thinking about the future. Suppose you are invited for dinner in the coming week. If you keep thinking of it in the workplace, you will feel like duty time is very long. It mostly happens to those people who think more about the future and less about the present. If you are searching for how to work faster, stop thinking about the future and focus on work.
Comparison between What Happens when Time Passes Slowly and Quickly
In the following, we have provided a chart that shows the comparison between what happens when time at work passes slowly and quickly:
When a Work Day Passes Slowly | When a Work Day Passes Quickly |
---|---|
You may be thinking of something else at your work. | You are focused on your assigned work. |
You may be hit by external factors like hunger or noise. | You are not facing external factors like fatigue or stress. |
You may be feeling purposeless. | You have a well-defined purpose. |
You may have a poor balance between your work and life. | You have maintained a perfect balance in your work and life. |
You may not be satisfied with your work. | You are pretty satisfied with your work. |
You may get stressed out because of challenging work. | You feel confident by getting challenging tasks. |
5 Most Useful Ways to Make Time Go Faster at Work
If you are looking for how to make time go faster at work, you are at the right place. To find unique ideas, read the following given points:
1. Don't Always Look at The Watch and Ignore The Clock
Chronostasis is the phenomenon in which the second hand of the clock seems stuck when you put a first glance at the clock. Due to this stopped-clock illusion, employees at the workplace feel that time is moving slowly. To make the time go faster at work, you should leave the habit of looking at the clock after every few minutes.
You can easily do that by putting your mobile phone upside down, disabling the time clock of the computer, and not wearing a watch at the workplace. In short, try to avoid all the possible means through which you can look at the time.
2. Plan Your Daily Tasks and Make a Good Time Management
To keep things consistent, try to plan for your daily tasks. Creating a to-do list and allocating each task proper time is very useful in improving engagement. You can take help from the experts or your colleagues in making a good time management plan. Once you create a perfect work schedule, you will perform all duties well without feeling bored or uninterested.
Moreover, making task management plans are also helpful in completing the task at the proper time, which creates a good reputation at work. Due to this positive change at work, you will be more confident and happier, which ultimately makes you feel as if time is moving fast.
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Note: This daily planner template is designed by UPDF. After downloading the template, you can use UPDF to open and customize it easily. This tool is perfect for you to add and modify text in PDF documents.
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3. Use the Right Tools to Get Work Done Faster
If you want to work fast, use the right tool. As most of us deal with PDF files at the office, it is better to have a tool to manage them professionally. You will find multiple tools but go for one that works at blazing-fast speed. It should also be cost-effective and user-friendly. Above all, do not forget to see whether it can resolve all PDF-related problems or not.
UPDF is the one-stop solution for PDF-related problems because it is filled with multiple unique features. You don't have to worry about how to work faster because this tool is free of malware and performs every task at ultrafast speed.
Moreover, its interface is also intuitive, meaning you don't have to give extra time to learn about it. If you really want to know what this powerful tool can perform, then read the following features of it:
- Convert PDF Files: It takes too long to transfer data from PDF to other file formats while typing it manually. Rather than wasting valuable time in such unnecessary activity, use the convert feature of UPDF. You can convert your document to Word, image, text, and many other file formats with just a single tap. Furthermore, you don't have to worry about file quality because it does not distort it in any way.
- Edit PDF Files: Editing PDF documents has never been easy before UDPF because it offers multiple options for editing documents. You can quickly change the link, edit the text in different colors and styles and correct the watermark according to the company's requirements. Above all, if the document's background is distracting you from work, change it with some attention-seeking pictures or colors.
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- Organize PDF Files: Are you really searching for how to make work go by faster? Use UPDF, which works amazingly as a PDF organizer because it allows you to crop, delete and replace pages. You can swiftly split lengthy documents into short notes to increase their readability because long files create boredom. Additionally, it is also possible to rotate pages in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction to give files a consistent look.
- Annotate PDF Files: If you want to do your work faster, then use the annotate feature of this advanced tool. With a breeze, you can add comments to the PDF documents using sticky notes, text comments, or text boxes. It also has markup options that help in highlighting or underlining essential notes. Stamps, shapes, and stickers are available for your use.
- Batch Process: Instead of wasting time converting and combining PDF files one by one, start using the batch feature of this innovative tool. With just a few clicks, you can easily combine multiple files in one PDF and convert various documents to a single desired format. Above all, it allows you to insert a single file into multiple documents simultaneously.
- Share PDF Files: You can work fast by sharing the documents with your colleagues using the share option of UPDF. It is feasible to share a document via link and email. It is up to your choice which sharing options you choose. Moreover, you can secure your file before sending it by disabling the permission for printing, copying, and downloading.
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4. Try to Focus and Practice Deep Work
While at the workplace, don't indulge yourself in multiple works because it creates a lot of distraction and confusion. Try to focus on one task at one time instead of becoming a multitasker. No doubt multitasking has its advantages, but it also has drawbacks, like you lose creativity. Deep work makes you concentrate on one task, due to which time feels like flying.
Furthermore, try to avoid chit-chat at work because it causes distractions, making you feel like time is moving slowly. The pro tip is that deep practice work and focus on one project at one time without becoming part of other unnecessary activities.
5. Continue to Learn New Knowledge
You feel bored when you perform the same task daily at the workplace. It is better to learn new skills to get promoted to a new position. A new position offers challenging tasks which ultimately speed up the time. Thus, start learning new knowledge by attending seminars, enrolling yourself in weekend courses, and doing things like that.
Above all, when you get busy with different tasks, you focus less on time. As your attention diverts from the clock, you feel like time is passing super-fast. Thus, if you are worried about getting work done faster, start learning new skills and polishing previous ones.
FAQs on How to Work Faster and Smarter
1. How can a clerk make time go faster at work?
A clerk can make time go fast by using the right tool for managing the documents. He can use UPDF, which works at blazing-fast speed and performs multiple tasks without lagging. Moreover, the clerk should also not watch the wall clock from time to time.
2. How can a factory worker make time go faster at work?
A factory worker should focus on one task at one time rather than performing different tasks simultaneously. He should also make the task challenging by gamifying it. The more you feel excited at the workplace, the more you feel that time is flying.
3. How can a waitress make time go faster at work?
A waitress should try to learn new knowledge by attending courses. This will help her in improving her capabilities, and she will start thinking out of the box. Furthermore, she should avoid gossiping with colleagues and give proper attention to the assigned work.
4. How can a leader make time go faster at work?
A leader can make time go fast by creating a good time management plan. Creating a to-do list and properly dividing time for each task will help him greatly. Additionally, he should try deep work instead of haphazardly performing multiple tasks simultaneously.
5. How can an accountant make time go faster at work?
An accountant should use a perfect tool for managing receipts and documents. They can use UPDF to sign the documents and share the receipts. Moreover, this PDF tool will help them organize the documents per the company's requirements.
Conclusion
In short, it is not the time that moves fast or slow; it is our activities that make us think like that. Try to change those habits that make you feel like time passes slowly. Moreover, if you are really worried about how to work faster and more efficiently, use UPDF, the fastest tool for solving all PDF-linked problems. So, try this tool now to complete the project on time.
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